TSR Just when you thought it was all over.... now there’s a fourth TSR!

In the story that will never end, after having this week turned itself into Wonderfilled, Inc, and deleted its Twitter account, TSR is BACK AGAIN! Like again, again, again, again. Complete with old-school logo! And Michael appears to actually exist!

Michael K. Hovermale says in a press release that an unnamed individual (I’m guessing Stephen Dinehart) apparently ran all the social media accounts for TSR, Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum, Ernie Gygax, Justin LaNasa, and Giantlands. He goes on to say that this person has been replaced, and that all posts on those social media accounts are "invalid". There's no mention of Stephen Dinehart's social media accounts though.

Dinehart has left TSR3, taking Giantlands with him. Given that Star Frontiers mentions have been quietly removed a week or so ago, that would leave TSR3.5 without any roleplaying game products, as far as I can tell.

The existing (TSR3} website still says it's WONDERFILED (sic), Inc. However there’s now a NEW one at TSR Hobbies. We’ll call that TSR3.5 for now. I’m struggling to distinguish TSRs from tribbles at this point. They just keep on coming!

TSR - TSR3 Throws In Towel, Rebrands Wonderfilled

In the news story that never ends, after reversing its position earlier and admitting that it was NOT the original TSR reincarnated, the new TSR company, embroiled in acrimony for the last two weeks, and having blamed the widespread criticism it has received on Wizards of the Coast, has deleted...

www.enworld.org

I don't really know what to say anymore, but my job is to report the news. So here's the news.

TSR Appoints New Public Relations Officer; Responds to Social Media Mismanagement - PR.com

TSR has replaced the individual that was serving as both social media manager and information technology manager for TSR and The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum.

www.pr.com

TSR Appoints New Public Relations Officer; Responds to Social Media Mismanagement​

Lake Geneva, WI, July 09, 2021 --(PR.com)-- TSR has replaced the individual that was serving as both social media manager and information technology manager for TSR and The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. This individual was also the social media manager for Giantlands, Justin LaNasa, and Ernie Gygax.

All posts on all social media accounts for TSR and Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum should be considered invalid.

All posts on all social media accounts of Justin LaNasa and Ernie Gygax should be considered invalid.

TSR is in the process of recovering the social media accounts of TSR, The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum, and the personal Twitter accounts of Justin LaNasa and Ernie Gygax.

Michael K. Hovermale
Public Relations Officer
TSR

Ernie Gygax:
“I wish to speak directly to the transgender community regarding this incident. The individual who was speaking to you on Twitter does not represent me or TSR in any way. Trans people are always welcome to play with us. Everyone is welcome at our table.”
Contact
TSR LLC
Michael K. Hovermale PR Officer
(209) 819-7504

 

[irrg]

Does anyone know if "Michael" is in the TSR 3.5 fork of TSR 3 or the Wonderflailed branch?

I'm trying to make sense of this comedy of errors and it only makes sense when he's with TSR 3.5. Except his employer changed to Wonderfilled on LinkedIn. My personal attempt to make sense of this is that it feels like Dinehart controlled the TSR3 company listing on LinkedIn, Michael just selected it before the change, and then Dinehart changed the name of the company on LI.

Then again, maybe it's just better for my sanity to not try to look for patterns.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Who are the five rogues?

Well, there is Rod, Vince, Dave, and his brother Michael and his other brother Michael (newhart reference for you young 'uns)

Also, both Michaels are totally fictional

 

[Steampunkette]

Oh and I'd also make the ''gods'' reside somewhere IN the plane instead of them being OUT. So they are within your reach, you can even meet them, but they are not ''good people''. That makes them even more unlovable: they are not distant and uncaring, they are uncaring in your face.

Definitely like the in-your-face gods. Though I was also considering making them "Remote". Like Crom in his mountain. If you traveled there, and entered his domain, you could confront him... but there's little proof he -really- exists. Because he doesn't like you or care about your life.

In a lot of S&S settings, powerful magic is rare, either as items or casters.

Absolutely. Gotta find a way to maintain that while keeping some semblance of D&D's balance... Probably prohibit a bunch of magic items in general. Make it so all of the Powerful Spellcasters in the setting are out and out baddies with lots of corruption and no real non-player examples of high end good sorcerers.

Could also just axe pretty much all of the high end spells in 5e D&D. Make it so 9th level slots are almost exclusively for Wish and Upcasting lower level spells...

 

[GuyBoy]

I took about 10 minutes earlier to write up a "Highlight Pitch".

1) Regional Cultures. While there are different player races they're all culturally mixed up within the City-States around the area. Some tribal groups maintain "Racial Traditional" cultures, but mostly it's a blend.

2) Horrible Gods. A departure from Dark Sun that hearkens to older works. There are divine entities but they're largely either wicked or uncaring. There's probably a good deity but their worship is cult-like and small in the world while the other gods get constant appeasement to avoid harm.

3) Largely desolate environment. What arable land exists is largely owned by evil people and worked by slaves to provide food for society, most of which goes to the fewest people. Herding scrub-eaters and hunter/gathering are the most common ways for tribes to survive in the wild.

4) Small forests, sun-parched savannahs, lots of desert, lots of rocky terrain, mud flats and oases. Fragile ecosystems, everywhere, ready to collapse if abused.

5) Psionics are something that mark someone as "Different" or "Special". It won't get you a free pass to the king's table, but being born with Psionic Potential basically tells everyone you're probably going to survive to adulthood and be someone important. Also not something so trivially common that everyone has some.

6) Sorcery/Magic is largely viewed as FOUL because of terrible kings and horrible people performing profane rituals. Rather than defiling the world, it corrupts the body. Purification rituals have to be performed often to keep the naturally corruptive nature of magic from taking hold of the spirit. But people who purify themselves face no problems in the long term. (Might be short-term use problems, will work on a system later)

7) Ancient Ruins from Earlier Ages. Pretty much everyone "knows" that the gods were angered by mortals and sent down terrible curses and unleashed the yawning maw of hell. What great offense that was is lost to time, but might be found within the ruins.

8) Unknown cosmology. There is no Planar Travel magic. Maybe because the planet is cut off from the planes, maybe because the people just never strove to leave their world. There's practically no knowledge of the planes whatsoever beyond broad sweeping generalizations of the Gods living in their "Own" places and monsters coming from "An Evil Place".

9) Dangerous World. Between strange beasts, hell's spawn, harsh weather, and the curse of the gods, the lands are a place few can safely travel alone. Tribes can move through the wastelands by staying close together and in large enough number to ward of large threats, with enough cooperation to move the supplies needed, etc. But small groups... Delightful Targets.

10) Mutants and Monstrousness. Cannibalism is a thing. And there are tribes that have been struck down to small enough numbers they have to Raid to survive. And horrible actions can be just as corrupting as magic without purification. Add to that the curse of the gods and degenerates tend to degenerate into more and more monstrous forms with every evil act. (Note: No racist connotations for corruption, nor ableist ones. Things like cat-eyes and claws, mouths full of too many teeth, horror stuff)

Go for it.
This sounds awesome.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Definitely like the in-your-face gods. Though I was also considering making them "Remote". Like Crom in his mountain. If you traveled there, and entered his domain, you could confront him... but there's little proof he -really- exists. Because he doesn't like you or care about your life.

I love the way you think!

 

[GuyBoy]

I'm honestly not sure a lot of people really care all that much. We're certainly talking about it a lot, but we're kind of a self-selected group and this place is hardly representative of the gaming community at large. TSR went defunct 24 years ago and most current players were either very young or hadn't been born yet so they won't have any fond memories of the company. And Gary Gygax's involvement with D&D ended 35 years ago with his exodus from TSR so I don't think his surname name has any particular power over most players these days. (And, honestly, I had Cyborg Commando so I knew the Gygax name didn't automatically turn anything it touched to gold!)

I care a little bit. Most of my memories associated with TSR from the 80s and 90s are positive as most of their gaming material was pretty good -not you, Maztica- and of course D&D, Marvel Superheroes, Gamma World, and other games are tied up with memories of my friends and where I was at various points in my life. So, nostalgia I guess. Over the years I've grown to appreciate people like Gygax, Arneson, Greenwood, and others while simultaneously being amazed at how successful TSR was despite the myriad of problems they had actually running a business. But now when I think of TSR, not that I think about it frequently, I'm going to think about Ernie Gygax. And that's kind of a bummer.

I think it is the nostalgia that gets hurt when we get this kind of offensive rubbish coming out of TSR3.
To me, the names Gygax and TSR bring to mind my teenage friends, gaming in the school canteen and the magic of books coming from the USA to kids in late 70s UK.
I didn’t have the best of childhoods and was probably saved by D&D alongside rugby.

The sad bit is that, by and large, rugby has moved with inclusiveness and decency. So has D&D of course, but it hurts that TSR is now tarnished.

 

[an_idol_mind]

My memories of TSR are mostly tied up with Dave Gross and Chris Perkins, who ran the magazines during the 90s (and I'll feel dumb if I'm misremembering that). They were incredibly patient with the million ridiculous ideas I sent as queries and consistently gave good, constructive feedback. But they were people who happened to work at the company...another group of different people who use the TSR letters have no resonance with me.

 

[Parmandur]

My memories of TSR are mostly tied up with Dave Gross and Chris Perkins, who ran the magazines during the 90s (and I'll feel dumb if I'm misremembering that). They were incredibly patient with the million ridiculous ideas I sent as queries and consistently gave good, constructive feedback. But they were people who happened to work at the company...another group of different people who use the TSR letters have no resonance with me.

Honestly, WotC probably has more old TSR creatives around still than these guys.

 

[Faolyn]

I took about 10 minutes earlier to write up a "Highlight Pitch".

1) Regional Cultures. While there are different player races they're all culturally mixed up within the City-States around the area. Some tribal groups maintain "Racial Traditional" cultures, but mostly it's a blend.

I'd be choosy about the races/heritages. No need to have all the PH races, or just them. I'm not sure what I'd include, personally, besides maybe some anthro races.

2) Horrible Gods. A departure from Dark Sun that hearkens to older works. There are divine entities but they're largely either wicked or uncaring. There's probably a good deity but their worship is cult-like and small in the world while the other gods get constant appeasement to avoid harm.

Personally, I'd say that there's a god, or multiple gods, that is quite good to worshipers but is pretty awful to heathens. Or at least, that's what's believed (if the gods aren't particularly active, that is, thus allowing the priests free reign).

This might be a good place for demigods that walk among the people, living idols and eidolons (as per the old Al Qidam MC and MTF, or at least their 3pp-allowable equivalent).

3) Largely desolate environment. What arable land exists is largely owned by evil people and worked by slaves to provide food for society, most of which goes to the fewest people. Herding scrub-eaters and hunter/gathering are the most common ways for tribes to survive in the wild.

I recall hearing that the reason we associate this sort of barren land with S&S is because all the movies were filmed in the dry, desert-y parts of New Mexico, Italy, and Spain, and the actually books, particularly the Conan books, were much greener. I haven't actually read a lot of S&S, and most of the movies I've seen were on MST3k, so I don't really how true that is.

5) Psionics are something that mark someone as "Different" or "Special". It won't get you a free pass to the king's table, but being born with Psionic Potential basically tells everyone you're probably going to survive to adulthood and be someone important. Also not something so trivially common that everyone has some.

6) Sorcery/Magic is largely viewed as FOUL because of terrible kings and horrible people performing profane rituals. Rather than defiling the world, it corrupts the body. Purification rituals have to be performed often to keep the naturally corruptive nature of magic from taking hold of the spirit. But people who purify themselves face no problems in the long term. (Might be short-term use problems, will work on a system later)

So this is very Dark Sun-ish--which I realize is your point, of course. Personally, I wouldn't use psionics and stick with sorcery/wizardry/warlockery stuff (honestly, I still am not a fan of psionics; it's not that psionics are bad, it's that they don't do anything for me). Here's what I would do:

Sorcery might be the norm, or at the thing that marks you as different. I'd alter the spell list quite a bit, though, with a redesigned core list and then a "domain spell list" (possibly cribbed directly from cleric domains) that you can take, regardless of your archetype. Most sorcerers, however, simply have the magic adept feat. Any class that gives you magic, even if it's just spell-like abilities, is treated as just being a type of sorcery. Paladins are fighters with a bit of sorcery that lets them smite. That sort of thing. (Of course, if you do this with Level Up instead of 05e, there are already more non-caster classes, and quite possibly fewer magical archetypes.)

Wizardry would be the foul thing. In fact, I might go so far as to say spellbooks are rare, semi-living, things that may even be sentient. You can create a spellbook, but the sheer weight of the magic inside of them brings the book into a semblance of life (or perhaps when creating a spellbook, you have to find a demon or godling into it). They can't be easily destroyed, either. I don't mean "epic quest to toss into Mount Doom" hard to destroy, but they aren't going to be destroyed by accidental damage (even submersing a spellbook in the ocean for a century or ten won't do the trick), and deliberate damage that doesn't render them into nothing but ash then scattered to the winds will eventually repair itself. If you stick it in a fire and make sure it burns, though, you're good to go. Most wizards don't create their spellbook; they find one.

It's the living and possibly sentient nature of the spellbooks that causes wizards to become mutated. Blood sacrifice (which doesn't have to involve the death of the subject, but usually does) helps to prevent the mutagetics.

Of course, spellbooks don't have to look like books. Yes, you scribe spells into them, but not always with pen and ink. You know the drill.

Warlocks would replace clerics completely, although I'd stick more cleric-y spells into their spell list, including the curative spells. Optionally, I'd recreate the curative spells so the warlock takes a bit of damage as well (as per the life transference spell, I believe its caused). In either case, warlocks can heal you just fine... if they want to.

I'd either make bards a type of wizard, with the same sort of issues, just more personable, or I'd get rid of bards altogether and modify some of their more interesting archetypes into rogue archetypes.

I think I'd have druids also have to make blood sacrifices. Not to prevent mutation, but to appease the Hungry Earth. I see the possibility of having a fair amount of elemental and plant monsters, none of which are Good (in the helpful sense of the word). Maybe treat certain types of constructs as metal elementals.

10) Mutants and Monstrousness. Cannibalism is a thing. And there are tribes that have been struck down to small enough numbers they have to Raid to survive. And horrible actions can be just as corrupting as magic without purification. Add to that the curse of the gods and degenerates tend to degenerate into more and more monstrous forms with every evil act. (Note: No racist connotations for corruption, nor ableist ones. Things like cat-eyes and claws, mouths full of too many teeth, horror stuff)

Create a few "final forms." The more cannibalistic you are, the further down the track you go and the closer you get to that final form. You can be redeemed before you reach it, but not after. Potential final forms:

Some are animalistic, and all have the features of a mixture of predatory animals. One form is mammalian, one is reptilian or saurian, etc. People who relied on animal instincts and hunted with bare hands and simple weapons become this.

Ghoulish creatures have with dead-looking skin, inhumanly long teeth and nails, long, rasping tongue, and have some bits rotted off (including, if you feel like going this far, genitalia). People who ate the dead rather than killing people to eat become this. They're intelligent and can still use tools, weapons, and even magic.

Ogrish creatures are big, brutish humanoids that are incapable of fine motor control (using fists and clubs only) and only capable of grunting. People who used far more force than they should have and reveled in the kill become this.

Draconic creatures have scales, claws, and an acidic or venomous breath. People who killed for wealth but also ate their kills become this. They're smart more more animal-shaped and so rarely use tools.

Spider-People have multiple arms and eyes. People who killed through traps become this.

Changelings, of course, look perfectly normal until they strikes, at which point they're all fangs and claws. People who killed through deception and stealth become this.

I'm sure you can think of others.

 

[Steampunkette]

I'd be choosy about the races/heritages. No need to have all the PH races, or just them. I'm not sure what I'd include, personally, besides maybe some anthro races.

I write races into the setting. Classes, too. And I'm very much unafraid of chopping out races that don't have a strong Niche for the setting. As far as anthro races... I'm always leery of them because they can quickly make a setting take on a very different tone. Especially when someone decides to make an uwu kittehboi in a harsh desert land.

So while there will probably be at least one race with animalistic features of some kind, I'm much more likely to add in Shifters than Tabaxi, if that makes sense.

Personally, I'd say that there's a god, or multiple gods, that is quite good to worshipers but is pretty awful to heathens. Or at least, that's what's believed (if the gods aren't particularly active, that is, thus allowing the priests free reign).

Pretty much how I'd be doing all the gods, yeah. Obey the Priesthood, Obey the Tenets, and your God won't curse you as bad as everyone else. Your life won't be apples and cinnamon, but it won't be as bad as it was before you started tithing 10% of your harvest to the church.

This might be a good place for demigods that walk among the people, living idols and eidolons (as per the old Al Qidam MC and MTF, or at least their 3pp-allowable equivalent).

Ever read "Tower of the Elephant"? It's where I'd kind of lean toward with Demigods or Godlings. Interesting and powerful creatures that could do wonderful things... largely captured, tormented, and weakened by evil sorcerers who steal their power.

I recall hearing that the reason we associate this sort of barren land with S&S is because all the movies were filmed in the dry, desert-y parts of New Mexico, Italy, and Spain, and the actually books, particularly the Conan books, were much greener. I haven't actually read a lot of S&S, and most of the movies I've seen were on MST3k, so I don't really how true that is.

It's heavily true, but not 100% so.

Huge stretches of the known world are barren deserts and such. There's also savannahs and grasslands without a great deal of forests and the like, and stuff like that. But even that is also shown in the original Conan film. Both in Cimmeria where Conan was a child, but also when he meets the witch and travels with Subotai.

King Osric, played by Max von Sydow, is of Zamora, right near Turan. But Thoth-Amon come Thulsa Doom is a Setite Stygian and his Mountain of Power was likely closer to Shem or Khoraja than Zamora itself. Possibly within the boundaries of Stygia itself.

But the desert scenes resonated more strongly with audiences. The harsh landscapes were more engaging and interesting, possibly because of a subconscious cultural bias towards viewing deserts and prairies in film as "Borderlands" to Wilderness after decades of Westerns. So it became the standard S&S setting.

So this is very Dark Sun-ish--which I realize is your point, of course. Personally, I wouldn't use psionics and stick with sorcery/wizardry/warlockery stuff (honestly, I still am not a fan of psionics; it's not that psionics are bad, it's that they don't do anything for me). Here's what I would do:

I definitely get that, yeah. It's not for everyone. But.

Sorcery might be the norm, or at the thing that marks you as different. I'd alter the spell list quite a bit, though, with a redesigned core list and then a "domain spell list" (possibly cribbed directly from cleric domains) that you can take, regardless of your archetype. Most sorcerers, however, simply have the magic adept feat. Any class that gives you magic, even if it's just spell-like abilities, is treated as just being a type of sorcery. Paladins are fighters with a bit of sorcery that lets them smite. That sort of thing. (Of course, if you do this with Level Up instead of 05e, there are already more non-caster classes, and quite possibly fewer magical archetypes.)

Wizardry would be the foul thing. In fact, I might go so far as to say spellbooks are rare, semi-living, things that may even be sentient. You can create a spellbook, but the sheer weight of the magic inside of them brings the book into a semblance of life (or perhaps when creating a spellbook, you have to find a demon or godling into it). They can't be easily destroyed, either. I don't mean "epic quest to toss into Mount Doom" hard to destroy, but they aren't going to be destroyed by accidental damage (even submersing a spellbook in the ocean for a century or ten won't do the trick), and deliberate damage that doesn't render them into nothing but ash then scattered to the winds will eventually repair itself. If you stick it in a fire and make sure it burns, though, you're good to go. Most wizards don't create their spellbook; they find one.

It's the living and possibly sentient nature of the spellbooks that causes wizards to become mutated. Blood sacrifice (which doesn't have to involve the death of the subject, but usually does) helps to prevent the mutagetics.

Of course, spellbooks don't have to look like books. Yes, you scribe spells into them, but not always with pen and ink. You know the drill.

If I were to do this? I would swap these two outright. Wizards would be learned people with spell scrolls and knowledge gained slowly... While Sorcerers are wicked and powerful but their spell-variety is largely curtailed toward combat magic.

Warlocks would replace clerics completely, although I'd stick more cleric-y spells into their spell list, including the curative spells. Optionally, I'd recreate the curative spells so the warlock takes a bit of damage as well (as per the life transference spell, I believe its caused). In either case, warlocks can heal you just fine... if they want to.

Wouldn't replace clerics. Would have to make a different Cleric Class, though. One which goes for light or no armor and a closer to 2e flavor in weapons: No edges or Points. That'd be a freaking twist and a half...

I'd either make bards a type of wizard, with the same sort of issues, just more personable, or I'd get rid of bards altogether and modify some of their more interesting archetypes into rogue archetypes.

Bards would need a source of power in an S&S setting that isn't Sorcery so they can be heroic. They might just be music-wizards as a concept, but it might be better to make Song-Spells into their own unique form of magic with it's own narrative and pitfalls.

I think I'd have druids also have to make blood sacrifices. Not to prevent mutation, but to appease the Hungry Earth. I see the possibility of having a fair amount of elemental and plant monsters, none of which are Good (in the helpful sense of the word). Maybe treat certain types of constructs as metal elementals.

I am all in on Druids being baddies. Love that angle and I'd run with it... Make them into a Sect of a Bestial God, perhaps, rather than benevolent nature-casters.

Create a few "final forms." The more cannibalistic you are, the further down the track you go and the closer you get to that final form. You can be redeemed before you reach it, but not after. Potential final forms:

Some are animalistic, and all have the features of a mixture of predatory animals. One form is mammalian, one is reptilian or saurian, etc. People who relied on animal instincts and hunted with bare hands and simple weapons become this.

Ghoulish creatures have with dead-looking skin, inhumanly long teeth and nails, long, rasping tongue, and have some bits rotted off (including, if you feel like going this far, genitalia). People who ate the dead rather than killing people to eat become this. They're intelligent and can still use tools, weapons, and even magic.

Ogrish creatures are big, brutish humanoids that are incapable of fine motor control (using fists and clubs only) and only capable of grunting. People who used far more force than they should have and reveled in the kill become this.

Draconic creatures have scales, claws, and an acidic or venomous breath. People who killed for wealth but also ate their kills become this. They're smart more more animal-shaped and so rarely use tools.

Spider-People have multiple arms and eyes. People who killed through traps become this.

Changelings, of course, look perfectly normal until they strikes, at which point they're all fangs and claws. People who killed through deception and stealth become this.

I'm sure you can think of others.

Definitely some good options, yup!